Fluid jet cutting machines have been used for many years to cut materials in sheets, such as plastic materials, paper, leather, rubber, metallic and composite materials formed of woven or non-woven superimposed layers impregnated with resin, etc.
On such machines, cutting of the material is effected by means of one or several nozzles, each delivering a fluid jet usually constituted by a high pressure water jet which, when required to cut metal materials, may often contain abrasive particles. Each jet is transmitted at extremely high speed, which may vary according to the materials to be cut. When the jet has completed its material cutting function, it is received in a receptacle designed in such a way as to absorb the residual energy which remains significant at the outlet of the material.
So as to carry out this function, mobile receptacles are normally used, which move at the same time as the cutting nozzle from the other side of the material to be cut, or fixed receptacles which extend over the entire width of the machine and opposite which the cutting nozzle moves.
In the case of mobile receptacles, the energy of the jet is generally absorbed by an interchangeable expendable part placed in the prolongation of the jet so that the latter strikes this part. The documents DE-A-3 518 166, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,532,949 and 4,651,476 illustrate receptacles embodied according to this principle. In the document CH-A-567 908, the cutting jet strikes a liquid bath before arriving at the expendable part.
All these mobile receptacles require a large amount of maintenance owing to the presence of interchangeable expendable parts which need to be replaced frequently. Moreover, when a liquid is present above the expendable part, the receptacle may not be used in a slanted position.
As regards fixed receptacles illustrated in particular by the document U.S. Pat. No. 4,501,182, the energy of the jet may be absorbed by a liquid flowing in the bottom of the receptacle. However, in addition to the drawback linked to the spatial requirement of such a device, the latter may only be used in a virtually horizontal position, which excludes it being possible to orientate the cutting jet in a direction moved away from vertical.
In one particular case referred to in the document U.S. Pat. No. 2,985,050, an expendable elastomer material is placed below the liquid used to absorb most of the energy of the jet, and sprinkling ramps, placed below the level of the liquid in the receptacle and directed towards the point of impact of the cutting jet on the liquid, prevent too high a rise of the mist formed by the impact of the jet on the liquid. This device also exhibits the same drawbacks as the preceding device.